Accident happens as girl gets off school bus
Teenager seriously ill after being hit by car
Published:
A teenage girl was in a serious condition in hospital last night after being struck by a car minutes after she stepped off a school bus.
The girl, who is thought to be 15-years-old, was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by air ambulance following the accident at Birkenhills, two miles south of Turriff, on the A947 Turriff-Aberdeen road.
She is thought to be a third-year pupil at Turriff Academy and was named locally as Robyn. It is believed her family moved to the Birkenhills area from Blackpool a few weeks ago.
Last night, Grampian Police collision investigators were at the scene. Roads inspector Scott Mann said: “It is believed that the teenage girl alighted from the school bus which was in a bus stop and the collision occurred involving a Mercedes car.
“Collision investigators will be piecing together evidence at the scene to try and determine what happened.”
A Stagecoach bus and the Mercedes were still at the location several hours after the accident along with clothing and footwear on the road and verge.
The accident happened shortly before 4pm and the road remained closed to traffic for several hours while diversions were in place.
It is understood the girl had crossed the road behind the bus, which was indicating to move off, when she was hit by a gold Mercedes which was being driven by a woman. After the accident a guidance teacher from the school arrived at the scene to give counselling to the distraught children. Worried parents gathered nearby.
A nearby resident, Iris Henderson, 55, of 1 Birkenhills Croft, said: “I was in the house and heard a screech of brakes and when I looked out I saw the bus in the lay-by and somebody lying on the ground.
“I knew it was a school pupil because there was a rucksack on the ground.”
Her husband, Stanley, said the accident was the third this year on the stretch of road at Birkenhills.
“It’s a straight section here and the cars regularly go at 70-80mph,” he said.
Another local resident, Fred Grant, 73, of Lendrum Road, said: “The girl was just lying on the road and other people were there before we arrived.”
It is understood the injured girl’s boyfriend was on the bus and saw the accident unfold, but a sister, who should have been there, was not at school yesterday because of illness.
